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Bernie Worrell, who has played keyboards for Parliament, Funkadelic and Talking Heads, among others, has revealed that he's battling cancer. His wife, Judie, announced the news via Facebook on New Year's Day (via Ultimate Classic Rock), saying Worrell was suffering from stage-four lung cancer. Judie also told the Asbury Park Pressthat Bernie had been diagnosed with a "mild form" of prostate cancer and stage-four liver cancer.

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Regarding the prostate cancer diagnosis, Judie relayed that doctors had told him "men can live with that 20 to 30 years.""Then tests showed fourth-stage liver cancer that has metastasized to his liver and the pleural cavities," she added to the Press. "We are investigating various options."

The Facebook post urges fans to donate to an Indiegogo campaign that would raise $10,000 for a new Bernie Worrell album, Retrospectives. At press time, it has been 62 percent funded. "He wants his album released in his lifetime ... then, we will address trying to find a cure for him," the post, written by Judie, says.

"We have rejected chemotherapy (at this point) but he is undergoing naturopathic treatment (for which we are trying to raise money) which does the same but without the toxic chemical stew," she wrote on Facebook. She also wrote that she believed there were naturopathic herbs and supplements that could help him. "Please say whatever you have to say to whichever diety/great spirit/Allah/God/Jehovah in whom you believe – and should Bernie be appearing somewhere go see him ... just don't talk about this to him. It is totally overwhelming for him and he does not want a lot of emotional histrionics."

Judie also told the Press that Worrell is not in pain from the cancer, but does suffer from arthritis.